Number Format

In the format which existed before the 2001-2002 national renumbering:
Geographic subscriber numbers: area code plus subscriber number normally
totalled 8 digits.

The 2001-2002 national renumbering is now complete, and there is no longer
an area code as such - all numbers are 10-digit national numbers
for local and long distance calls within Greece, and the trunk
prefix '0' is no longer used.

July 2001 to October 2002 - national renumbering

All Greece telephone numbers were renumbered to national 10-digit numbers.
This was a staged process that commenced 8 July 2001 and completed
in October 2002.

Process for fixed or wireline numbers

For fixed/wireline numbers, new 10-digit numbers were formed in July 2001
by taking the existing trunk prefix (0) then the existing area code, then
adding a new digit '0', then the existing subscriber number. In October 2002,
the initial '0' digit of that modified number was replaced by the digit '2',
completing the change.

The following example shows the process for an Athens number, (01) 1234567
in national format, or +30 1 1234567 in international format:

Before 8 July 2001: Dial 1234567 within Athens, or 01 1234567 elsewhere
in Greece. Outside Greece, use +30 1 1234567.

8 July 2001: Dial 01 0 1234567 anywhere in Greece (local or long distance).
From outside Greece, +30 1 0 1234567 is now in service. However, the
old dialling formats could still be used until 20 January 2002.

20 January 2002: Must now use 01 0 1234567 within Greece, or +30 1 0 1234567
calling into Greece. Attempts to dial with the old formats result in a
recorded advisory message.

October 2002: Within Greece, the initial '0' became a '2': 21 0 1234567.
Calling into Greece, the digit '2' is added after the country code 30:
+30 21 0 1234567. There was no word on whether this part of the renumbering
had its own permissive dialling period.

Process for mobile numbers

Mobile numbers remained unchanged until October 2002, at which time
the new national mobile numbers began with the digit '6'.

In October 2002, within Greece, a mobile number call of the form
09x xxxxxxx changed to 69x xxxxxxx (replace trunk prefix 0 with the
digit '6').

From outside Greece, the digit '6' was added after the country
code: +30 9x xxxxxxx became +30 6 9x xxxxxxx. There was no word on
whether a permissive dialling period was in effect from October 2002.

Process for freephone and shared cost numbers

An existing freephone or shared cost number had the format 080x xxxxx.

8 July 2001: the digits '11' were added between the area code and subscriber
number to form interim freephone and shared cost numbers. That is,
new 080x 11 xxxxx numbers are formed from 080x xxxxx. A permissive
dialling period of old and new formats was in effect until 20 January 2002.

20 January 2002: The interim 11-digit format must be dialled; the old
080x xxxxx 9-digit format was taken out of service.

October 2002: The 080x 11 xxxxx numbers were reduced to their 10-digit
format by eliminating the leading '0'. The national number became
80x 11 xxxxx, without using any leading trunk prefix.

There were no details regarding access from other nations; freephone
and shared cost services may be restricted to within Greece.

Process for other non-geographic numbers

Premium rate numbers were converted to 10-digit national numbers
beginning with '9', by adding the digits '11' after the old (090)
code, then dropping the leading '0'.

Paging numbers were converted to national numbers beginning with '6',
by first adding the digit '0' after the old (092) code, then changing
the leading '0' to '6'.

Dial-up numbers (such as Internet access) will be converted to national
numbers beginning with '8', by first adding the digit '2' after the old
(096) code, then changing the leading '0' to '8'.

30 September 2001: initial conversion of numbers was introduced (this
introduction date differed from the 8 July 2001 date used for fixed/wireline,
freephone or shared code numbers);

20 January 2002: initial conversion of numbers must be used (mandatory
time);

October 2002: second conversion of numbers to replace the leading '0'
with a digit signifying the type of service.

There were no details regarding access to these numbers from outside
Greece. However, if Paging number access is allowed, for example, the
renumbering converted +30 92 xxxxxx to +30 92 0 xxxxxx initially,
then +30 692 0 xxxxxx, following the format of +30 followed by the
October 2002 format national numbers.

Renumbering information

Announcements on the Greece renumbering programme were available from
national telecom regulator EETT:

EPAK

Area code 965 is EPAK, which translates as Single Number of Panhellenic
Coverage. Subscribers on 965 include Internet Service Providers who use
this code for dial-in and support (information current to September 1999).